Stale Solbakken: “It’s me who has the responsibility for especially in what we’ve done in some away games."

Wolverhampton Wanderers boss takes the blame for bad run of results

Stale Solbakken has taken the blame for Wolves poor away form which has seen them lose four straight games on their travels.

The Wolves boss believes he was wrong to keep faith with the same players who were turning in decent performances at home - believing they needed more steel on opposition grounds.

“It’s me who has the responsibility for especially in what we’ve done in some away games.

“We may have to look differently at it against certain teams.

“That may also be easier when we get some of the players back from injury and get more possibilities.

“But I’m not using that as an excuse – I’ve more than enough to choose from at the moment.

“I have to look myself in the mirror and say in some of the away games maybe I shouldn’t have thought so much about the rhythm and continuity, but maybe this or that game needs a more physical side, or a more defensive side, or a counter-attacking side.” Pictures from the game between Watford and Wolverhampton Wanderers

Solbakken admits he has put himself through the mill in trying to find the answers.

“I had a really tough Sunday analysing what has gone wrong and I looked at a lot of DVDs to watch the games,” he said.

“I have to take responsibility.

“But what I think I’ve done wrong when I look back now is that I may have gone too much in the same way of thinking so as not to break our rhythm so we can progress.

“Sometimes, when I’ve watched the away games again, I don’t think we’ve been particularly unlucky.

“But it’s my responsibility to put it right.

“I think the biggest chance of improving in the short term is to pick a more physical side, because I haven’t picked a physical enough side in some games.

“I have to be honest about that and hold my hand up.

“Away from home, maybe we haven’t got what we deserved and that’s my responsibility to put right.

“I thought we were on the right track when we went on that run and didn’t let in any goals in three away games on the trot.

“But after the international break, we haven’t really produced and that could be because I have chosen too offensive a side, or maybe a less physical line-up.

“That’s something I’m going to have to look harder at each time.

“I did it because I didn’t want to break up the rhythm because we’d been on a very good run and I wanted to keep it going.

“But it’s been payback time for that in a way.”

Wolves have been beaten by Huddersfield, Burnley. Hull and Watford in a run that has seen them sink from third to 16th.

Solbakken, who turned down the chance to sign Emmanuel Frimpong on loan because he wants to give David Davis a chance, admits he is missing key players more suited to away football.

“We’ve got half a team in the gym,” he said.

“I think in some away games, we’ve lacked the counter-attacking players who have a counter-attacking mind.

“The ones who are best at that are Razak Boukari and Slawomir Peszko and so their absence has taken away the possibilities to change it around a bit, as has Jamie O’Hara not being available.”